Cyclone Thane was centred in the Indian Ocean, 22 miles south-west of the town of Pondicherry.

The deaths were caused mostly by wall collapses and electrocution, an official said.

The bad weather hit trains and flights in the region.

The weather office said that the seas were expected to be very rough along the coast of Pondicherry and its neighbouring areas of southern Andhra Pradesh and the northern coast of Tamil Nadu. Fishermen were warned not to venture out.